On spiritual death

When you are dead to the creation, it will be said to you: “May God have mercy on you,” and God will make you die out of the desires of the flesh. And when you die out of the desires of the flesh it will be said to you: “May God have mercy on you.”

Then He will give you death in your will and desires; and when you are dead in your will and desires it will be said to you: “May God have mercy on you,” and He will restore you to (a new) life.

Then you will be given a life after which there is no death, and you will be enriched with a wealth after which there is no poverty. And you will be awarded a gift after which there will be no obstruction, and you will be made happy with a happiness after which there will be no sorrow and misery, and you will be blessed with a blessing after which there will be no adversity; and you will be equipped with a knowledge after which there will be no ignorance; and you will be given a security after which there will be no fear; and you will be made to prosper so as not to be unlucky; and you will be honoured so as not to be dishonoured; and you will be made near (to God) so as not to be kept away; and you will be exalted so as not to be lowered; and you will be honoured so as not to be abused; and you will be purified so as not to be polluted any more. Then the fulfilment of all hopes and the (flattering) remarks (of people) will assume reality in your case. You will then become the philosopher’s stone so much so that you will elude being recognised (in your elevated position), and you will be so exalted that you will have no like of yourself, unique so that you will have no peer and no equal. You will become unique and peerless, most hidden and most secret.

You will then become the successor of every messenger and prophet of God and every truthful man {siddiq). You will become the finishing point of all saintliness {wilayat) and the living saints will flock to you. And through you will difficulties be solved and through your prayers will the clouds, rain and the fields yield harvest; through your prayers will be removed the calamities and troubles of the rank and file of people (in the country) — even of those living in the frontiers, of the rulers and the subjects, of the leaders and the followers and of all creatures. So you will be the police officer (so to speak) for cities and people.

The people will traverse distances and hasten towards you and they will bring gifts and offerings and render you service, in every condition of life, by the permission of the Creator of things. The tongues of people will (at the same time) be busy everywhere with applause and praise for you. And no two persons of faith will differ with regard to you. 0! the best of those who live in populated areas and those who travel about, this is the grace of God and God is the Possessor of mighty grace.

On being tried and tested

When the servant of God is in the grip of a trial he first tries to escape from it with his own efforts, and when he fails in this, he seeks the help of others from among men such as kings and men of authority, people of the world, men of wealth, and in the case of illness and physical suffering, from physicians and doctors; but, if the escape is not secured by these, he then turns towards his Creator and Lord, the Great and Mighty, and applies to Him with prayer and humility and praise. So long as he finds the resources in his own self he does not turn towards the people and so long as he finds resources in the people he does not turn towards the Creator.

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Further, when he does not get any help from God he throws- himself in His presence and continues in this state, begging and praying and humbly entreating and praising and submitting his needs in fear and hope. God the Great and Mighty, however, tires him out in his prayer and does not accept it until he is completely disappointed in all the means of the world. The decree of God and His work then manifest themselves through him and this servant of God passes away from all the worldly means and the activities and efforts of the world and retains just his soul.

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At this stage he sees nothing but the work of God, the Great and Mighty, and becomes, of necessity, a believer in the unity of God (Tawhid) to the degree of certainty, that in reality there is no doer of anything except God, and no mover and stopper except Him, and no good and no evil and no loss and no gain and no benefit, and no conferring and no withholding and no opening and no closing, and no death and no life and no honor and no dishonor, and no affluence and no poverty but in the hand of God.

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He then becomes in the presence of God as a suckling babe in the hands of its nurse and a dead body in the hands of the person who gives it the funeral bath and as a ball before the stick of the polo-player — kept revolving and rolling and changing position after position and condition after condition until he feels no strength either in his own self or in others besides himself for any movement. He thus vanishes completely his own self into the work of his Master.

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So, he sees nothing but his Master and His work, and hears and understands nothing except Him. If he sees anything, it is His work and if he hears and knows anything, he hears His word and knows through His knowledge and he becomes gifted with His gifts and becomes lucky through His nearness and through his nearness he becomes decorated and honored and becomes pleased and comforted and satisfied with His promise and is drawn towards Him. And he feels aversion for and is repelled from those besides Him and he desires and relies on His remembrance and he becomes established in Him, the Great and Mighty, and relies on Him and obtains guidance from, and clothes and dresses himself with the light of His knowledge. And is apprised of the rare points of His knowledge and of the secrets of His power and he hears and remembers only from Him, the Great, the Mighty, and then offers thanks
and praise therefore, and takes to prayer.

On sharing good advice

Follow faithfully (in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet) and do not create innovation and remain obedient (to God and His Prophet) and do not transgress. Uphold the Unity of Godhead — and do not ascribe any partner to Him; and conceive Him in His Holiness and do not ascribe any evil to Him. Maintain His truth and do not give way to doublestandards; and remain patient and do not run away; and apply to Him for your needs but do not feel annoyed but wait; and be united in obedience and do not be disunited. Love one another and do not bear spite towards one another; and keep free from vices and do not be contaminated or defiled by them; and beautify yourselves with obedience to your Lord; and do not remain away from the doors of your Master; and do not refrain from being attentive to Him; and do not delay your repentance and return to Him; and do not feel weary of making petition to your Creator at any time during the day and the night. (If you do so) may be mercy will be shown to you and you will have good luck and be kept away from hellfire, and be given a happy life in paradise and be united with God and enjoy the blessings of God together with the company of virgins in the Abode of Peace and in that state abide for ever; and you may ride good horses and you may be happy with white-eyed Hurs and various kinds of scents and melodies of female slaves together with those other blessings; and you may be exalted in the company of the prophets and siddiqs (perfected men of truth) and shahids (that is, dedicated witnesses to the cause of truth) and saiihs (that is, ordinary men of piety who are free from glaring sins) in the high heaven.

On the essential tasks of every believer

Three things are indispensable for a believer in all conditions of life:

1. He should keep the commandments of God.

2. He should abstain from the forbidden things.

3. He should be pleased with the decree of Providence.

Thus the least that is expected of a believer is that he should not be without these three things. So he should make up his mind for these and talk to himself about them and keep his organs engaged in them.